2023 at the age of 104. Born July 29, 1918 in Fort Wayne, Indiana she was the
daughter of Leon C. Yapp and Iva May Allen Yapp. She graduated from South
South Side High School and attended two years at Hillsdale College in Michigan.
She was a member of the Ft. Lauderdale chapter of Kappa Kappa Gamma, P.E.O.
Chapter CG and the First Presbyterian Church of Pompano Beach where she
served as a Deacon and Elder and sang in the choir for many years. Harriett
resided at John Knox Village where she loved to volunteer, play bridge, attend
lectures and concerts, and sing in the women’s chorus. She received The John
Knox Hall of Fame Volunteer Award for the outstanding volunteer of the year in
2009. She was preceded in death by her parents, her sister Nancy Yapp Davis, and
her husband, Harold William Sams.
As a child Harriet was a member of The Children of DAR and Girl Scouts. At ages
10 and 11, she performed as a pianist on Saturday Morning Children’s hour for
radio station WOWA in Fort Wayne. In high school she was a subscription
manager for the award winning school newspaper and a National Honor student.
At Hillsdale college she made the scholastic Dean's list and was on the basketball
and soccer teams. There she became a member of Kappa Kappa Gamma sorority.
Harriett was employed by The Lincoln National Life Insurance Company and soon
married Harold W. Sams, a civil engineer. His work took them to Philadelphia,
Perth Amboy, NJ, Waterford, NY, and Gary, IN. Later they moved to Western
Springs, IL where Harold ran an office supply business while Harriett was a
homemaker raising their two children, Kenton and Becky.
In Western Springs, Harriett was active in the First Congregational Church,
teaching Sunday School for 15 years, participated in Girl Scouts as an adult leader
and on the Board of West Cook County Council of Girl Scouts, was a Cub Scout
leader, president of Kappa Kappa Gamma, and enjoyed playing tennis at the Salt
Creek Tennis Club in Hinsdale, IL. After 25 years in Western Springs, Harriett and
her husband retired to Pompano Beach in Florida. They enjoyed summers in
Aspen, CO and Big Sky MT camping, hiking, birding, tennis, and riding their two
horses, Aspen and Sky.
Harriett loved to travel. She took many trips with John Knox friends and others all
over the world including to Dubai at age 90, South America at age 93 and took her
last cruise at age 96. At age 100 she fulfilled her bucket list by taking a helicopter
ride.
Harriett is survived by two children, son Kenton Allen Sams of Treasure Island,
FL, daughter Rebecca Jane Bewersdorf (Bill Mahlburg) of The Villages, Florida,
two grandchildren, Kevin Allen Bewersdorf (Annie Pevear) and Robyn Lynn
Beaulieu (Steven), great grandson, Oliver Paul Beaulieu and great granddaughter
Juneau Grace Beaulieu, and nephews, Daniel Brainard Knorr (Sharon), John Allen
Knorr, (Rose Mary), two nieces, Roxanne Louise Yates (Fred) and Andrea Ruth
Crockett Knorr.
A memorial service will be held at John Knox Village in the Village Center
Auditorium, 651 SW 6th St, Pompano Beach, FL on Monday, January 23, 2023.
Donations may be sent in Harriett’s name to American Macular Degeneration
Foundation (AMDF), P.O. Box 515, Northampton, MA 01061 or the John Knox
Village Foundation.
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